One of the easiest ways to tackle Russia is through economic sanctions, but they can take time, says head of the Estonian Internal Security Service, Arnold Sinisalu.

“For example, Cuba, right next to the United States, has held on despite decades of economic sanctions, which have done nothing significant to bring a change to the regime,” Sinisalu told Postimees, adding that from the point of view of international law, there is little else that can be done against Russia.

He said that Russia has stepped up its influence activities, but there is nothing new in the tactics as similar methods were used in 1991 in Abkhazia, Ossetia and Transnistria.

Sinisalu added that currently, Estonia is locked in a battle of nerves and psychological games with its large neighbor, but Russians will one day wake up to the reality, just as the Soviet Union did, when its people realized that the nation is not working well internally, if there is no innovation and it has closed political system.